Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-09-02

From the Portland oregonian.l

his progress and Poverty is that the rich
are getting richer and the poor poorer This
is a question of facts and the facts prove
Mr. Georges assertion to he without founda-
ton. The savings bank deposit in England
wonderfully increased during the 9 years
ending with 1880 in Massachusetts during
90 years ending with 1880 and in nine state
during 81 years ending with 1887 and the
deposits of the New York state savings
banks have increased about $50, 600, 600
since January I, 1887. The average wages
paid to all men and women in manufactures
according to the census of 1860 was $3.50
each, and the average paid to men, women
and youths in 1850 was 1916 for each.
! Gifen, president of the British Statistical
| society, proves 10y saving bank records and
the statistics of cooperative stores that the
| British laborer is vastly improved in condi-
! ton during the last 80 years. The death
rate is lower in Great Britain and America
than it ever was before. The food consump
ton. both in quality and quantity, is won
derfully increased and improved. Wages
per capital have increased in the last 30
| years in great Britain and America in n
large proportion and the necessaries of life
/ have decreased in price 30 per cent. accord
! ing to the official industrial and vital statis-
tics of both England and America aud the
computations of Gillcn, David \. Wells and
Atkinson. OF the 60 GOO coo of people of
the United States all but less than 300, 600
! in good times aud 500, 600 in the worst times
! have steady employment. \ farmer cor
! respondent of the New York Tribune re
Gently pointed out that while once the whole
state of New York was covered by manor
| rights and large land grants like the Van
| Rensselaer, tract 81 miles in breadth by 4S
in length, it ia now divided into moderate
sized farms to the number of more than
2iO 600 Not 300 of these have more than
| 1000 acres. DutchcSs county, once covered
| by large land grants. is now divided into
| 3S40 farms, only two of which have more
/ than 1000 acres. These facts clearly dis
/ prove the existence of any tendency to land
monopoly in the great and wealthy state of
/ New York. This farmer cites these facts,
and comments as follows:
| We can show that the greatest economy of
| production Is on farms of moderate size: that
! Is, that more food Is produced IN proportion
! 10 the lahOr extended.
Tue preScnt value OF Jhc farms of the whole
country com"s from the labor which has been
EXPENDED on them. That is, the value sala-
| bic or produ tive of the farms of the whole
country is not greater than the value of the
| | Dor expended On them in buildings, fences,
trso- r,, ,,t ,i ~ lana '''' r, - ','h ~
but a hrnefcent puHiic service which would
never have come witrou ownership.
IL E0Vernnich, can rye the use ol lanu 10
the public good II can give 1t for the same
purpose to Il family in perpetual use, which is
To quire the ardholdcrs to pay al the
eXpensc ~ the public service is against the
public good II would add TO the cost of al
kinds OF fnoi ana would deptess the interest
of agriculture.
Georges proposed change of taxation is
not an extinction OF burden, hut mere
makeNhft change OF knap>acE on the shout
derN ol the soldiers OF Labor, ana has no IN
teFts' Tor any ""dN save the Ia|N ana uIl-
thrifty who dtoam, drOOl and lounge Their
lives away WAITING for that uto,iau HON. of
IN -
"Il ""''' ''''| l''''' "'' SUI ms
something for nothing VIII get what ne
wants: that is get what he never earned
| f,, +l,, .,,,,.'-+io +L,irt,- i,,l,,.+,.;,,.
''ii t''' i''' - ~ 90 ny ''''"9' nus
honest landS tlat earned II. Poverty Is NOT
increasing Few are poor for lack of work
90. s,, l;..i,. ,,-,... .,l +l,, ,.o1,+i,, - acc,
VI '"''i' nv '''-' -, '.'' ,"N 'O' VI
geS ana TN" cost OF living Is stetOllN changing
| III favor of labor. OF the accumulated
,,.ooltI, Of indivi,,oI- nr c,rorait,,,. If may
l;I I,,, ,,., l H., l.
De Sdu lhat Ill Il laTGe way by lhe pfIhclIhe
of rapid distribution and diffusion. every
Iahorinr man * q nnrtakpr Of thp honnfitS of
- a. -it' :; I'll
progress OF the country III wealth.
Edward Atkinson analysed the processes
of a cotton mill with "A capital of $1,000.
GOO invested in it, He finds that from its
years receipts the operatives and the raw
material absorb $500, 600; fuel, oil, and tax
es, 10000; insurance, freight and salaries,
$40, OOO and after allowing for depreciation
of plant, the owners are lucky if they have
Il profit of 500 1000 to divide Atkinson says
that the average rate Of wages is higher in
nearly every art of material Importance
| than ever before, and the prices of the ne
cessiticS of life lower than they have been
since 1910. We quote
If we compute wages both in rate and in
purchasing pow'r, men OF special SKIN and
"pcrsnnrs vow hgb"., TSnarImnpts
of the mecharic arts. are I0l per &c better
Oft than al the date named, for comparison. TO
w r ~, ,,o w ',I
| il &, percent better OF. Thee Is work now
waiting to be done for every industrious man
! or woman WHO WI aCc'nt Tue coru tlols On